Topical Bible: The Dead: Terms Used to Express: Carcases

◄ The Dead: Terms Used to Express: Carcases ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, the term "carcases" is used to refer to the physical remains of the dead, often highlighting the mortality and the transient nature of human life. The use of this term can be found throughout the Old Testament, where it is employed to describe the bodies of both humans and animals after death. The term underscores the separation of the spirit from the body and often serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and disobedience to God.

1. Old Testament Usage:

The Hebrew word often translated as "carcases" is "פֶּגֶר" (peger), which specifically refers to a dead body or corpse. This term is used in various contexts, including the aftermath of battle, divine judgment, and ritual impurity.

· Divine Judgment: In Leviticus 26:30, God warns the Israelites of the consequences of idolatry, stating, "I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your carcases on the lifeless forms of your idols, and My soul will abhor you." Here, "carcases" signifies the physical remains of those who have fallen under God's judgment due to their disobedience.

· Ritual Impurity: The presence of a carcase was considered a source of ritual impurity. In Numbers 19:11, the law states, "Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days." This underscores the separation between life and death and the need for purification before approaching the holy.

2. Symbolism and Imagery:

The imagery of carcases is often used to convey the severity of God's wrath and the consequences of sin. In Ezekiel 6:5, God declares, "I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars." This vivid imagery serves as a stark warning against idolatry and rebellion against God.

3. Prophetic Literature:

The prophets frequently use the term "carcases" to describe the aftermath of divine judgment. In Isaiah 66:24, the prophet envisions a time when the righteous will witness the fate of the wicked: "And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind." This passage highlights the eternal consequences of rebellion against God.

4. New Testament Context:

While the term "carcases" is predominantly found in the Old Testament, the New Testament continues to reflect on the themes of life, death, and resurrection. The physical body, once dead, is seen in light of the hope of resurrection through Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, speaks of the transformation from perishable to imperishable, from dishonor to glory, emphasizing the victory over death through Christ.

In summary, the term "carcases" in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of death, the consequences of sin, and the hope of redemption and resurrection. It reflects the biblical worldview that sees life and death as part of God's sovereign plan, with ultimate hope found in the resurrection through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 14:29,32,33
Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 13:24
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

An Essay on the Scriptural Doctrine of Immortality.
... of the soul," and even in the present day the same terms are used, the soul ... Paul
says, "apart from law sin is dead" (Romans 7:8), and in another place ...
/.../an essay on the scriptural.htm

The Mystery
... But in other places it does express the word, as Jer ... sacrifice offered for the living,
and the dead, as crucifying ... of drawing down fire from heaven is used as a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery 2.htm

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober ...
... of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. ... following words of the same prophet
are direct and express. ... opposition in the text to the terms sceptre and ...
/.../xiv proposition xiv fifthly as.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... a sling and a stone, gave the carcases of the ... so strongly felt even while he was
apparently dead in trespasses ... no mealy-mouthed writer) would have used it, had ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm